DHARAMSHALA, October 31: The New Delhi based Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) said China might attack India in the near future.

“China’s aim could be to teach India a lesson so as to influence India’s rise before its capacity building underway acquires traction,” said Ali Ahmed, a research fellow at the institute.

After several reports of war-footing military build-up across the Himalayas and regular border incursion by the People’s Liberation Army, the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony conceded last month that China was ‘aggressively’ shoring up its military capabilities along the borders with India.

“I agree with you on that China is aggressively building its capabilities in its areas. In the past, India was negligent in strengthening its capabilities in the eastern sector,” he told reporters when asked about China strengthening its military set-up along the Line of Actual Control.

IDSA said that the war between the two Asian giants could be a limited war confined to a specific section of the border.

“Limited in duration and amenable to a negotiated termination,” said the IDSA research fellow.

In 1962, China made an arbitrary attack on India during which Chinese troops advanced into Indian territory, capturing Rezang la in Chushul in the western sector and Tawang in the eastern sector.

By urging the Indian government to be better prepared in the future with its military capability in the areas of the four possible theatres – Ladakh, Central Sector, Sikkim and Arunachal, the research fellow said, “if India prepares well by then, China may instead wish to set India back now by a preventive war.”

“This means current day preparedness is as essential as preparation for the future,” said Ahmed.

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